Sunday Sports Aggregate (12/18): WE BEAT UCONN (nowwhat?)

I'm a bit late, yeah. We beat UConn. It's worth it.

• First, because it's important: (1) Baylor Lady Bears beat (2) UConn (and I wasn't there. Woe.)
  
• Robert Griffin III comes home with the Heisman, and people cheer. Oh, and at the same time, the Man Bears beat Bethune-Cookman. No big deal.
  
• Later the same week, the Bears took down BYU, at BYU. This is not your everyday thing.
  
• However, BYU fans remain classy.
  
• RG3 makes all sorts of All-[insert term] teams. 

And now, my computer is dying. I'll be back in Waco for the Dec 21 Lady Bears game against Mcnese State, then it'll be bowl coverage, from the band-stands.

Live Event Review! Baylor Honors Robert Griffin III at Bears Basketball Game (Wed 12/14)

I'll be attending as part of the Courtside Players the Baylor Men's Basketball game on the 14th where Baylor plans to honor RG3 as the Heisman winner. I'll do my best to sneak my camera in and take pictures between playing. This won't be a liveblog, but I'll write everything up as soon as I get back.

Superman

In this photo from the Baylor Media and Communications department, we see Robert Griffin the Third finally reveal his true nature. As the trumpet section from the Golden Wave Band has always known, RG3 is indeed Superman.

Sunday Sports News Aggregate-12/11/12

Did you know that Robert Griffin III won the Heisman? Just checking.

• First up, the official AP story.
  
• Baylor's athletics are entering a golden age, says the Fort Worth Star Telegram's Marc Engel.
  
• Dallas Morning News Wire Reports has a story on whether RG3 could take Andrew Luck's spot as the projected number 1 NFL draft pick, if he doesn't decide to stay another year.
  
• In non-Heisman news, Brittney Griner and the Lady Bears defeated St. John in the Maggie Dixon Classic (NY, NY) after cheering on RG3 before the Heisman ceremony.
  
• WacoTrib has a video of students reacting...enthusiastically to the announcement. It's worth watching just for the pure joy, and for the guy who starts the RG3 chant.
  
• David Ubben of ESPN's Big 12 blog says that RG3 defied odds and redefined the Heisman. Me, I'm not so sure about the defying odds part.
  
• New York Times writer Mark Viera remarks on the remarkable prediction that Art Briles made when RG3 came to Waco. 

And that's all for now, folks. 

Robert Griffin III: Baylor's Greatest Player or Baylor's Greatest Player?

It's about 10 minutes from the time that we learned that Baylor University had its first Heisman trophy winner. I keep trying to start this post, but for once, I'm having difficulty finding words. What this means to us is simply indescribable. This legitimates a program that has known its own potential for 2 years. This proves to the world that Baylor is more than a cult from years ago and the perennial favourite for other school's Homecomings. It's something that means more than I can articulate-I can only describe the shaking nerves that filled me right before the announcement, and the screams of joy that erupted from the tiny front room of this collegiate apartment and all over campus. The tower of Pat Neff will be green tonight and Robert Griffin the Third, Heisman Winner, will come back to a hero's welcome.

While we here are all shaking with joy, there is also the slightest undercurrent of sadness. RG3 won, so he's unlikely to come back and play as a Baylor Bear again. One does get the terribly sad feeling that this might have been a once in a lifetime thing, something that we lucky few (the undergraduate classes of 2012-2015) will tell our grandchildren in wistful voices of when "Baylor was good and Robert Griffin was the Heisman winner." Maybe it won't be. Maybe this is that pessimism that comes as second nature to us members of this no-longer second rate school.

I'm sure that tomorrow I'll be able to wrap all this up in a much more concise and appropriate way, but right now, the only thing I can think of is:

RG3 is Superman.

Heisman liveblog

Check back here for my liveblog of the Heisman presentation! I will be hitting post every commercial break- expect my snark and joy, and my friends' snark. After this is over, I'm going to edit it and link to my references.

The show has just started with it's cheesy stuff. I can't help but love it. This kind of stuff gets my heart beating like none other.

19.01- Live band. It's interesting. So is RGIII's tie. All the finalists are classy looking, and everyone is very excited to even be here. Robert Griffin, of course, is articulate and praises Baylor Nation, every bit the Communications masters candidate that he is. Andrew Luck is...here again. I am not impressed. He says "uh" more times than RGIII. Of course, I am biased. Honey Badger is in a shiny suit. The interviewer: "You're an expert on ball security." I resist the urge to make an offcolour joke.

Commercial- "Has the North ever heard of the letter R?"Hit post.

19:09- "This band is so awkward." Apparently, the announcer is a mix of Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. Everyone in the room is talking. I'm the only girl here right now in this apartment. It's only slightly awkward. In BP2 news, it's now so loud that I can't hear the TV. Now we're seeing outtakes from the Nissan commercial. RG3 was caught not paying attention, and Luck looks slightly daft with his mouth hanging open like that. I can't judge, though, because, I'm the same way. Commercials. Discussion of the Indiana upset of #1 Kentucky.

19:20- The food is running low, because there are suddenly about 20 people here. RG3! RG3! We suspect his interview is next. Someone "Oh, yeah, they already announced it." My friend "Really?! Who won?!" Never mind, RG3 wasn't next? Richardson? Really? Most everyone here takes another food break. Honey Badger reference number 801. Apparently, "he don't give a sh--." As always, there's a internet video for that. Plea number 300 for a little decorum- "GUYS, I'M TRYING TO LIVEBLOG." There is much decrying of the ability of the other finalists to speak in public. To this crowd, RG3 could run for president. I...I can't really argue with that. It's kinda boring right now, so I'm hitting post.

19:26- Andrew (not Luck): "Get to RG3 stuff! I don't care about this!" Now, 3 older guys whose names I missed laud the candidates. Apparently, HB looks like Chris Brown? Heisman straw poll of the room: Who do they have 2 and 3?

Results: RG2; RG1; Honey Badger don't care; Andrew Luck, I guess?; Don't Know, Don't Care; pizza; commercials. We are still discussing the Indiana-Kentucky game.

19:34- This might be the lead in to RG3? This is the quietest that the apartment has been since I arrived. RG3 steps up on stage. Very quiet. Briles made a prophecy, apparently. I...I can't snark on this. I can just cheer and scream and get shivers. Even in his losses he averaged a crazy number of yards. Now, we're talking about Andrew Luck and the room no longer cares. You can tell this by the noise level rising. I can snark again. The general consensus is that Stanford plays in a crappy conference and that RG3 is smarter than Luck. And now, it's quiet again-RG3 as a child is adorable and causes "awwws." Still, no one cares about Andrew Luck. "His teeth look weird" according to someone on the floor. He's cerebral and full of himself. RG3 is wearing a crazy tie and loves superheroes. I will admit that I yelled "One of us! One of us!" SOCKS! BEST SOCKS EVER. I HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO SNARK. Superman with the capes. I am speechless. With the capes! With the CAPES! They are now lauding RG3 and Baylor and his character. I'm so happy. He put the university on his shoulders, really. No one cares about Andrew Luck, still. Long enough update: post.

19:44 They're going up to the stage. Last commercial break. The tension in the room is palpable. There will be tears, most likely, either way, no matter what happens. I'll hit post now, then get the edit post ready for the announcement of a lifetime.

19:48 And we're back with the World's Most Awkward Band ™. There is some hyperventilating. There are 23 former Heisman winners. Griffin! Wait, wrong one. We can't breath, here. It's taking too long.

HURRY UP is the yell.

This. Is. It.

 ROBERT GRIFFIN THE THIRD.

19:52- I hurt my neck jumping around. I might be tearing up. He's a fantastic human being. He thanks us. Baylor Nation. Thank God.

Also, it's because of the socks.

A Baylor Student's letter to Santa.

Dear Santa,

It's been a while since I've written you (in this age of the Amazon Universal Wish List, who really needs to actually spell wants out in paragraph form?) but since I have some special requests, I figured I'd better make the effort. 

Santa, if it's possible (and StiffArmTrophy.com and the Heisman Pundit think it is), please give RG3 the Heisman? As someone who was here for the 4-8 season (just like my high school!) and only found a love of the crazy sport called College Football through Baylor actually winning things, I can't think of anyone who deserves this more than him (and us, the university). He's a fantastic person, smarter than I am (I mean, law school!), and, above all, has lifted us from 4-8 to 9-3. As a member of the Golden Wave Band, I'm getting to go to a bowl game. A bowl game! I know I speak for many when I say that my freshman year (2009-2010, for those interested) I never thought we'd ever go to a bowl. That was one of the things that "other", more luridly-school-coloured (who really actually looks good in burnt orange or maroon? Not I, that's certain) universities and colleges did. Baylor students went home over Christmas, to spend time with their families (or go on ski trips, or to South Africa, or to the Netherlands or what have you). But a bowl game? Ha, my freshman self would have said sarcastically. Ha, maybe next year. 

Somehow, though, that sarcastic comment came true. Under the leadership of RG3 (already the subject of lore after a facebook campaign my freshman year called "I'll give RG3 my ACL.") the football team somehow, amazingly, won games. Yes, we lost to A&M, but then, in one of the best games of my life* we magically beat Texas. In Austin. In that huge stadium, the likes of which I'd only dreamed of. We (BUGWB) were on the sideline when Baylor scored to lead 10-9, then we crumpled. 12-10, Texas.The Bears, however, didn't give up (a percived problem with the 09 squad). Through the rest of that insane game, I know I cheered the loudest that I had (to that point). When the final time ran out, and the scoreboard stayed on 30-22, I felt amazing. Not only had we managed to help keep Texas from a bowl game, but we were going to one ourselves. Nothing could top that feeling. 

Nothing could top that feeling, or so I thought. It was with high hopes, however, that I came back to Baylor to march as a junior. I somehow, though the offseason (and the bowl loss we all try to forget) managed to catch football fever. I found myself checking ESPN's Big-12 blog, and I was able to recite stats like no one else. I found myself believing we could possibly go 8-4. Then, the unthinkable happened. We beat TCU, and the student body rushed the field for the first time of the season. It was then that somehow, rather than being cynical and shamed, Baylor embraced football. The Baylor Line actually started showing up for games, rather than only being there for Parents' Weekend and Homecoming. The alumni side had more green-and-gold than the opposing school's colours*. Yes, we lost to A&M, but we beat Mizzou (We Will! Beat Missouri!). Yes, we lost to K-State, but a) it was by 1 point and b) they ended up 10-2 (and should have been in a BCS bowl). 

Then, Magic November happened. We beat Missouri, and we cheered. 1 closer to a repeat bowl game! Woohoo! We (barely) beat Kansas! Bowl Eligible! Excellent! (Though why you had to give me a heart attack during a concert rehearsal, I will NEVER know, Bears.) 

This next game still gives me shivers every time I think of it. I personally (and fault me for lack of faith in my team) came into this game with the glum attitude of "Maybe it won't be a horrible blowout?". I knew, I just knew, that there was no way we could beat Oklahoma. OU! #5 OU! Never-ever-beaten-them-in-20-years-of-play-OU! I just shook my head at the optimistic freshman with the sign that read "We Are Going To Win." Then, something happened. Well, to be specific, RG3 happened. And in those last 35 seconds he redefined Baylor University, Baylor Football, and what it meant to be a fan of the Bears. I will not lie, I fell to my knees when I saw the ref throw his arms up. 45-38. The beautiful pass. 

The rest is history. Tech made it a perfect November. Texas made it an amazing December. And now, as I sit here during finals week, trying to write a paper due on Monday but only able to think of the Heisman that sits, waiting for its new owner at 7:00 PM CT (8 PM ET), all I can say is-

Santa, all I want for Christmas is for RG3 to go pick up the Heisman he deserves, for giving this school a new identity, and uniting the student body. That's all I really want. 

(Well, that, and a Brittney Griner dunk. Make that two things I want for Christmas.)

Love,

Kate

*Until the Oklahoma game. 

*When we played Texas here my freshman year, I could have sworn that we were playing in Austin, rather than Floyd Casey, by the amount of orange and white in the stands.